Matthew 15:21-28 Dear Friends, In days of Jesus and from their earliest history the family of Abraham always treasured their heritage as God’s Chosen People. It is very hard for us to grasp how deeply the Jews at the time of Jesus saw themselves as the Chosen People of God to the exclusion of all others. It penetrated and permeated their reality with a clear vision and an acutely guarded set of protocols that defined all…

Matthew 14:22-33 The message of today’s Gospel is clear. Jesus continues joining us in the storms and threatening circumstances of our life. He may seem hidden and absent but he is there whether on the sea that was ready to take Peter or in the boat that evidenced a different threat. Today’s Gospel story of Jesus walking on the water is filled with symbolism and echoes of the divine in the Old Testament. The disciples found…

Matthew 14:13-21 Dear Friends, Today’s meal is not primarily about the Eucharist. It does, however, reflect the beauty and wonder of the eternal gift of Jesus. We are given a symbol of the final, Messianic banquet, the great day of the total victory over evil and death. While the bread and fishes are distinct from the Body and Blood of the Last Supper, they are a good memento of the blessing of the Eucharist for our…